Gerda Finally Sees the Broken Fragments

[Gerda]

Westo, Own, all who stopped by with good wishes, love to you all.

Sjohn, once in a while during Lent I would check my thread and a couple of others, just peering in. It was really nice to see you were thinking about me, thank you so much.

DnJ, indeed, but I am not sure we need to be as socially distant as these boards require but it was great to see you stopped by. I read your thread once in a while and noticed from afar that all was still beautiful in DnJ Land. Grace even helped me once on a phone call by saying, "Well, DnJ would ask, what are you afraid of?" and that discussion led to a major epiphany.

Grace, my friend, you are in my thoughts all the time.

About the boards and me -- well, as usual, Lent taught me to lean on God more, to trust that He did not make a mistake. And a lot a lot a lot has happened. I am not really ready to do a long write-about to tell you everything, there is a lot to tell. I am very overwhelmed with all that I have to do each day so I don't even know when I will have time either! I will just say that the divorce stuff is far worse for me than anything I have to deal with in my city, and for those who know my city, that will tell you a lot. But I am pro se now and it has been amazing to finally stand up for myself. No one can shut me up now! The courts are closed but I have already won a couple of battles. But as far as what is going on here, I feel very lucky to be healthy and very sad for friends and family who have lost someone, happy for friends/family who have recovered from Covid. The future is so unknown as far as work, foreclosure, etc. I am at peace about everything.

And DnJ, today I heard from a student of mine who I taught in the 90's when I worked in one of America's most dangerous neighborhoods. We stayed in touch over the years, and he even stayed with me and H upstate once after 9/11 because he was struggling with what he had experienced that day. Anyway, he wrote to me today and it reminded me of the time you were so thunderstruck by the quote that H had taught me -- "The child can't distinguish between the gift and the giver." You talked about the impact that had on you, and how we never know how life will feed us what we need, how it happened that I knew that quote and how it came to you. Well, this student wrote to me a note about various other things, and then the quote below. I didn't even remember teaching that play to any students, let alone him,let alone that year. Thunderstruck. Sat here reading the quote a hundred times and thinking of all that happened to each of us and the world between the time that quote hit him, unbeknownst to me, in my class in an American ghetto in the 90's and now.

I imagine you are super busy doing online classes and try g to be their for your children and students. I know how great a teacher you are. So, any time you want to chat I'm here. But hopefully we can get back to normal life and be healthy soon.

There’s a quote I remember from reading Death of a salesman in your AP class ”The jungle is dark but full of diamonds”

Best to you and your family

(N)

I just keep reading it and weeping but from hope and joy.